Breakdown of Ze willen de bewoners hun rechten ontnemen.
zij
they
willen
to want
hun
their
het recht
the right
Questions & Answers about Ze willen de bewoners hun rechten ontnemen.
How does the prefix ont- change the meaning of nemen in this sentence?
The base verb nemen means "to take". Adding the prefix ont- adds the sense of deprivation or removal, creating ontnemen, which means "to take away from" or "to deprive". In this sentence, it specifically shows that the rights are being removed from the residents.
Why are there two noun phrases right next to each other (de bewoners hun rechten)?
The verb ontnemen takes two objects: the party you are taking something from (the indirect object, de bewoners) and the thing being taken (the direct object, hun rechten). Dutch routinely places the indirect object immediately before the direct object without needing a preposition.
Could I use a preposition like van to say "from the residents" instead?
No, it is standard with ontnemen to use an indirect object without a preposition. The verb ontnemen already inherently contains the meaning of taking something away from someone, so adding a preposition like van would sound unnatural.
If we changed this sentence to the present perfect ("They have deprived..."), how would the past participle of ontnemen work?